Decision-Making for Managed Retreat

Economic Assessment and Decision-Making for Managed Retreat in British Columbia: Approaches, Challenges, and Case Studies of Cost-Benefit Analysis and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis

Report
September 19, 2024


Overview

This report focuses on managed retreat as a strategy to address rising flood risks in British Columbia. Managed retreat involves moving people, homes, and infrastructure out of flood-prone areas and restoring natural landscapes to reduce future risks. The research highlights key challenges, including the cost of relocation, impacts on communities, and the need for careful planning and communication. Using examples from communities like Grand Forks and Merritt, the report examines how managed retreat can improve safety and restore ecosystems while balancing social and economic concerns. It stresses the importance of fairness and transparency in decision-making and community involvement at every stage. The report offers practical advice for governments and planners on how to approach managed retreat in a way that supports both people and the environment. By addressing these challenges, managed retreat can help create stronger, safer, and more adaptable communities in the face of climate change.

Publication

Published: September 19, 2024, Living with Water
Copyright: © 2024 Cross, Doberstein, Huynh, Lueck. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Team Members